Sometimes, as adults, we think we’re too cool or grownup for “childish” pursuits. Fortunately, I don’t think I’m too old or hip for anything so when Jason suggested that we continue celebrating my birthday way past the point of reasonableness with a trip to Hogle Zoo, I consented. Neither of us had been to our local zoo for at least fifteen years so we both felt like it was about time we revisited it.

Hogle Zoo has changed substantially since the last time I was there. They’ve made use of the Zoo, Arts, and Parks tax to overhaul most of their habitations. Overall, they actually appear to have a lot less animals than previously but the species that they do possess have much larger habitats now and seem to be significantly more content.

The day we went to the zoo, the sun’s blasting rays felt more like death rays. We were there from about 11:00 to 2:00 and I was literally dripping with perspiration by the time we left. Becoming a human faucet felt a little undignified and gross but the beasts didn’t seem to mind.

In general, it was a pleasant afternoon. It took Jason and me a bit to recover from our heat exposure but, now that the sweat marks have been washed out of my clothes, I’m feeling pretty good about the experience. I’d argue that you are never too aged or sophisticated to laugh at bears’ horseplay or to appreciate seals’ aquatic maneuvers. I plan on not ever being that mature.

I have, in my opinion, the best husband in the history of husbands. Am I biased? Maybe just a smidgen. However, no one can refute that he always does a bang-up job planning birthday parties for me. This year, to commemorate my earthly entrance, he arranged for a picnic in the park with our friends and their families followed by some rounds of volleyball.

Pizza, summer cherries, juicy watermelon, and cupcakes filled our bellies before volleyball sloshed them around. Our matches weren’t exactly intense but they were humorous. Need a visual? Just imagine a bunch of noisy chickens trying to keep a bottle cap airborne and you’re pretty close. The children present enthusiastically relished the slides, sand, and sugar readily available to them as the adults enjoyed their social and sporty distractions.

Even Mother Nature seemed onboard with Jason’s party plan; the weather was substantially more ideal than I can ever remember late June being. I actually had to wear a light jacket. Ah… There’s something energizing about the hum of summer, especially when it’s an uncharacteristically temperate hum. Yes, cheery but not overpowering sunshine combined with yummy food, happy kids, laidback games, and high-quality company made for a delightful evening.

Many thanks to that terrific husband of mine for scheming up this event. One can’t help feeling special when married to such a man. Happy birthday to me!

I’m a Downton Abbey fan and I’m a fan of wearing nifty 1920s attire. So when a friend, who happens to also be a costume aficionado, told me about a Downton event requiring apparel from 1910-1925 and fabricated Britishness, I considered it my honorable duty to attend.

On a fine Saturday, about sixteen of us dolled up and congregated at the Thanksgiving Point Gardens for tea at the Trellis Cafe followed by a garden stroll. After all, what’s more pretentiously British than sipping tea and wandering around vast grounds? Nothing as far as I can tell, except maybe crumpets and suppressed sentiments.

I brought my camera and tripod to this gathering and got a number of noteworthy pictures, some of which only give away the century they were taken in with their color and quality.

Jason and I had a lovely time savoring an era that slipped away decades ago and chatting with a set of people as enthusiastic about time-period clothing as us. Several ladies in our group commented about how the populations of costumes in their closets have multiplied so many times that they outnumber everything else and constantly threaten any and all powers of containment. Hmm…that sounds slightly familiar.

Cheers to vintage apparel and company willing to take partying to historical levels!